Brewdog & Stone - bashah

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to first say that I am the proud owner of some Equity for Punks!  If you don't know what that is yet, check it out here.  After finally taking the plunge last week after a near immediate blessing from my surprisingly understanding and slightly dismissive wife (quoth her email, "Just go do it"), I find myself doing something new, exciting, and a bit helpful to the craft beer community.  With my new investment in mind, I figured it was time to break out this bottle that had been sitting in my beer fridge for quite some time.  This bottle is called "bashah" and is the collaborative effort betwixt our friends at Stone and Brewdog.  I know!  It DOES sound good.  My only concern was that the bottle might be a little too old considering this is supposed to be a black Belgian DIPA.  To be specific, this bottle is from batch 352 and was bottled on 12/19/2010.  Under a year should be fine for a beer this steeped in hops and darkness, right?  Is that not the story behind imperials and IPAs?  That their strong flavors preserved them?  One way to find out if that legend holds true.  Let's pour!

Aroma 7/12
Granted, this is an older bottle, so it should come as no surprise that the majority of the aroma is cocoa with no detectable hop character.  There is some Belgian yeast sweetness that makes a faint appearance, as does some coffee and some roast, but the IPA goodness (let alone the Double IPA goodness) has died out a long time ago.  At this point, it smells like a pretty tasty stout.  I find that the roasted malt appears as the beer continues to warm.

Appearance 2/3
Not pitch black, but very very dark. The traces of mahogany are only visible along the edges when held to light.  The khaki-colored head was small and lasted as long as it had to, but where it touched my glass it left a rather impressive lacing that indicated lots of good pitting.

Look at that lace!

Flavor 19/20
For a beer with a less than impressive smell, this beer still has what it takes to knock your socks clean off!  Initial flavors are the sweetness of malt, raw sugar, and caramel.  Then the backbone begins to rush in and this beer gets big in a hurry!  Lots of coffee, hop bitter, dark caramel, roasted chocolate malts, and a light saltiness that I have had in other dark beers (notably Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch), but can never seem to place.  This is big and complex - a great combination.  The finish is very bitter, hints at the former sweetness, and drys the mouth quickly.  Maybe those hops did not disappear completely after all!  This beer leaves a great inky, hoppy bitter aftertaste way on the back of the tongue that seems to skulk about like some sort of great, black predator crouched in the back of its lair.  It lives back there.  It belongs there.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Its carbonation is barely present without feeling flat; I love that in a dark beer.  The body is not as heavy as one would expect from a beer this dark and with this much flavor, which is a nice surprise when you're finished and not weighed down.

Overall Impression 9/10
This is a damn good beer, but I felt I had to dock a point for not being at all what is on the label.  It claims to be "The Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale."  Granted, that's a pretty tall order to fill, but it can (and has) been done.  The black is definitely present, but the rest gets lost.  Any Belgian characteristics are slight at best.  The hops offer no flavor nor aroma (in a bottle this aged), even if they certainly have their say in the finish.  Those DIPA hops really come out in the aftertaste, too.  The beer that was present was a delightful, hoppy stout that was good enough to score a nine here.  Big, complex, bitter, and not heavy.  What more do you want?

Total 41/50
I thought this was going to be a brief review. I respect Stone and Brewdog a LOT and when I first smelled this beer I was ready to be disappointed by the rest. It smelled simple and weak. I didn't even really want to post a crappy review about two breweries I like so much, but figured I might be able to get away with it if I screamed loud enough that this was an old bottle.

Then I tasted it.

Wow! What a complete 180! While it's not the style on the label this is still a damn good dark beer that I keep wanting to call a stout. I don't want to rehash the beer description, but I can't reiterate how much this beer redeemed itself. To reward such a redemption, I'll stop calling it a stout and begin calling it my "bête noire." Cheers and kudos to the boys at Brew Dog & at Stone!! You boys can get together for a playdate any time you like!

The legend held true.

Goose Island - Pepe Nero (2011)

To keep with June's "Drink Beer from Your State" theme, today I will be tipping back one of Goose Island's Pepe Nero.  This beer is in the Belgian style (yeah, because that narrows it down), but is said to be brewed using black peppercorns.  I like Belgian styles a great deal, so I worry a bit about using a spice as vigorous as black pepper.  However, I am also always ready for a new "exbeerience"™.   Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

First notes are of fruity esters and caramelly, roasted malts.  There is barely a hint of alcohol.  The roasted malt is very discernable, but for a beer named "Pepe Nero" (which assumedly translates as "Black Pepper") the spice profile is remarkably light.  To its credit, as it warms the pepper becomes more prominent.  It can only be described as very earthy and not comparable to what one has one their dinner table.

Appearance 3/3

Despite its name, this beer is anything but black.  It pours a medium body in shades of an überdark amber.  There are too many beautiful shades of mahogany and auburn to ignore.  The beige head's size was nothing to write home about, but its soapy appearance, fluffy texture, and excellent retention are certainly worthy of note.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20

The flavors begin as very earthy and malty.  Unfortunately, this is where certainty ends.  There are comlimentary flavors abounding and it is often difficult to tell where one begins and another ends. The initial flavors quickly develop as the beer is held in the mouth and mature into a ever-increasing pepper spiciness, deep, strong caramel notes (almost root beer-esque at times!), lightly blackened malt, and the banana esters from the aroma.  In hindsight, the banana and the dark caramel are combining to give the false root beer flavor.  Slurping during the backbone unleashes the esters' true potential as well as reveals the alcohol warmth.  As if the complex backbone was not enough to earn this beer some serious props, the finish is fantastic.  Banana esters and dark pepper make a very nice backdrop for more earthy tones, dark fruit, and a noticeable chocolate finale.  The aftertaste is remarkably clean for a beer with such roasted characteristics, but ultimately has a faint hop bitter and mellow earthy notes.

Mouthfeel 4/5

Substantial enough to support the multitude of dark flavors and light enough to drink a second without a thought.  There is excellent carbonation that lasts all the way through the bottle and the beer exposes its bit of warmth when slurped (as aforementioned).  A bit of slick feeling is left in the mouth, but not enough to dissuade the drinker.  The med-heavy body and creamy feel are nice with the earthy saison style.

Overall Impression 6/10

There is a lot going for this beer.  The skill of the brewmasters is certainly one of them!  Blending such bold flavors into such a round, mellow, and drinkable brew is certainly no easy task.  This beer is technically on task and complex, yet it fails to amaze.  Something intangible has escaped.  Perhaps the inclusion of more of the toasted malt would lend itself to a stronger-flavored brew, but at the risk of overpowering the pepper and bordering on a dunkelweiss.

Total  41/50

Far from a bad ranking for this staple Chicagoan brewery, but something is just not grabbing me the way I would like.  Perhaps my own expectations were to blame as I was expecting more of a peppery blast and less of the Belgian yeasty esters than I received?  Not sure.  It is truly something intangible and I cannot quite put my finger on it.  It is a good beer, just not an amazing one.  Goose Island should receive credit for two things: first for being a large brewery that is not afraid to put out a style with which not many people are familiar (including myself).  Two, I drank this beer well within 6 months of it being bottled, but the bottle clearly states, "Develops in the bottle for up to 5 years."  If it is an above average beer now, then I cannot wait to see this thing in 5 years.  You better believe I will be cellaring one of these for another day.  Cheers!

Shiner - Bohemian Black Lager

You have got to respect the folks at Shiner.  They keep trying different styles and selling them for our enjoyment.  While I have not had any brews from them that are a "must-buy" or a knock-out punch to my tastebuds as of yet, I will keep buying Shiner because I like what they are doing, I want them to continue, and one of these days they are going to knock it out of the park.  This review is for their Bohemian Black Lager.  The black/gun-metal gray monochrome packaging is sweet looking and encouraging.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 5/12

This score is a little worrisome as the aroma usually foretells the fate of the beer.  Not that the smells are not interesting, they simply are not strong enough.  Right off the bat, there is a sweet roasted smell that is akin almost to roasted marshmallows.  An unusually sweet smell for a schwarzbier.  There is also a faint smell of chocolate, but any hop aroma is absent.

Appearance 3/3

Appearance is appropriate to style.  In fact, the visual is quite perfect, casting deep ruby hues behind a black translucent shade.  The beer pours like a lager, despite its dark roots, and yields a moderate-sized, loose, khaki head.  The head has excellent retention, keeping a collar to the bottom of the pint, but lacks any lacing.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20

In a similar story to the aroma, there are certainly noticeable flavors, but they are meek and light.  Initial tastes yield a watery, malty taste and little of the roasted aroma.  The sweet malt then blends perfectly with a coffee flavor and remains that way through the finish.  A nice balance, even if the flavors are somewhat muted.  The after taste is remarkably clean for a black beer, but eventually reveals a spicy hop bitter and a bit of coffee.  The hop is noticeable by itself during an exhale.

Mouthfeel 3/5

This offering seems a bit light-bodied for the style.  The carbonation level is appropriate for the style, but it feels prickly and is a bit distracting.  Extremely drinkable!  It would be a very nice compliment to a sweet, charred, rack of ribs.

Overall Impression 7/10

While this beer will not win any prizes for an intense flavor, I must give it accordingly high marks for its stylistic accuracy, with the exception of a near-absence of hops.  Its light flavors are noticeable, yet light, and allow this lager to remain flavorful and extremely quaffable.

Total 30/50 (Very Good)

We cannot expect the same strong, dark, roasty flavors of a porter to some out of a black lager.  This is a different style and must be judged accordingly.  Again, I fear I may have let my bias weigh a bit heavier in this review than I should because the stylistic accuracy is very high, but my personal preference for intense flavor was not met.  However, I do feel the flavors could have been stronger, the body a bit more, and the hops present in anything more than a suggestion.  This rating says that this brew is "generally within style parameters" but could be touched up a little.  I could not agree more.  However, if you are wanting to get into black beers, stouts, imperials, and the like, I could not think of a better starting point.

Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

This beer was given to me by my good buddy Keith in Tampa, FL.  We had first sampled it at World of Beer (Carrollwood location) and were very impressed.  It is definitely a beer a that deserves a more in-depth evaluation.  Please note, that this blog will include more pictures than usual because there are several cool visual features to this beer.

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 12/12

Wow, there are some amazing things going on here!  There is definitely dark chocolate present and I'm not talking milk chocolate.  I'm talking bitter, dark, 90% cacao beans type of chocolate.  Please do NOT read that as the beer smells like 90% chocolate; that is not the case.  The aroma is based in a dark fruit/black licorice smell, but is not so overpowering that you cannot also detect the other contributing members: dark roasted malt, woody hops, and a dark toffee note.  What more could you ask for?!  While it smells like coffee and dark sweetness, it still maintains a balance with its hop and malt friends.  Perfection.

Appearance 3/3

This beer is exactly what they style demands.  It pours like used motor oil into the glass and produces a good-sized brown head.  Awesome.  In an imperial stout everything about the beer should be dark and Ten Fidy does not disappoint.  The head is dark-khaki brown and the beer is black.  I mean tar-pitch black.  Outer space black.  Keith (the giver of this beer) would say its "blacker than the blackest black times infinity."  Even the head retention was decent and it stuck around long enough for me to get a sip.

Picture is my own.

OK, so one last note on the appearance.  I know the EPC scale apparently goes down to 138, but can we give this beer a ranking of "infinity."  It is completely opaque!  In fact, to demonstrate how opaque this beer truly is, I held it up to the sun.  You still cannot see through it.  There are no ruby hints around the edges or dark brown variances toward the border of the glass; it is simply black.  Or as I like to quote, "darker than a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night."  Check the picture and judge for yourself!  Do you see how washed out everything in the background is?  That is how bright it is behind the beer.  This is the black hole of beer.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 19/20

This flavor is just short of what its aroma offers, but that is hardly a criticism.  Things initially come as one would expect - an assault of bitterness.  However, this wave gives way quickly to the sweet notes present in the aroma.  The dark fruits are here with the coffee and toffee, and accompanied a puff of smokiness.  The sweetness is the primary theme, but it is far from lonely.  There are so many "chords" of flavor, with each note making the others better, that when one holds it in the mouth, you can keep coming around and "re-noticing" each flavor.  Its finish and afters continue the dark fruit flavors and give hints at Ten Fidy's warmth.

Mouthfeel 4/5

With how thickly this beer seemed to pour, I was surprised how light it felt in the mouth.  Not to say that this is a "light" beer by any means, but appearances can be deceiving.  One could safely classify it as a medium bodied beer with low carbonation.  The warmth of this beer is very deceptive, hiding itself away and only making it occasionally known that this is a 10.5% ABV beer.  It is a bit easier to detect during exhale.  The lighter-than-style body of this beer and its camouflaged  warmth make this beer much easier to drink than it should be.

Overall Impression 10/10

If you are going to do something, do it 100%.  The people at Oskar Blues have obviously taken this to heart. The beer meets nearly all of the style guidelines, adds interpretations, and comes out a winner.  It is flawless in aroma and appearance.  Other categories, while not flawless, are still excellent and result in a superior beer.

Total 48/50 (Outstanding)

This beer rightly earns the description of "world-class example of style."  Stylistically on the money with complimentary creative license, this beer was fantastic.  It is big, bold, and black.  Hard to believe that beer like this comes in a can, but in the future I believe that this trend will not be as surprising as cans continue to grow in popularity.  Not only is the beer amazing, but the people at Oskar Blues do some pretty cool things.  They include a "shotgun target" on the can so you know where to puncture the can (not that I would EVER shotgun this 12 oz. of nectar), they have musical events in their facilities, encourage recycling on their packaging, and they distribute their beer in cans.  Not only does Oskar Blues make beer to be unashamed of, they also unabashedly do what they love.  Kudos to you Oskar Blues!  This is one of my top beers.  Ever.

Things that make this can awesome: "this dog'll hunt," "Pack it in.  Pack it out."  Shotgun target.

Stevens Point Brewing Co. - 2012 Black Ale

As you may have noticed, I have been a bit out of commission since St. Patrick's Day.  While it certainly felt like the end of the world, I indeed recovered and decided to get cracking on some new brew reviews.  I decided to take on the "end of the world" theme and review Point's - 2012 Black Ale.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only

Aroma 6/12
The aroma is rather light for something claiming to be a black ale.  Instead of robust bitters and über-dark roast there is a dark roast present (though not nearly dark enough) with a hint of chocolate.  Perhaps even a smoky scent peeking its head out, but only ever so faintly.  But sweetness in a black ale?  It is a bit troubling and I carried on to other areas of the beer hoping for more hints.

Appearance 2/3
When they said black ale, they were not kidding!  This thing is opaque!  It is pitch black and you can barely catch a brown from the edges even when held to light.  Very nice.  The head is a dark tan that cannot maintain retention long enough for me to even take a few snapshots and take a sip.  It leaves only a small collar and no lace.  I wish I could tell you its consistency, but it had vanished.  It keeps its points for its color and clarity (or lack thereof).

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20

This beer definitely has flavor, but it is not true to style.  It should be considered a robust porter before it is considered a "black" anything.  Perhaps the marketing folks are getting a bit out of hand?  I have had other great beers from Point, but this particular brew misses the mark.  The first sensation is sweet; the aroma did not mislead.  While the chocolate I detected in the aroma was a mix of sweetness and roasted malt, the flavor lacks chocolate.  Instead, there is a caramel that is made darker by the roasted malt.  Hops are not individually detectable, but do make their presence noticed with a slightly bitter finish and their contribution to the coffee afters.

Mouthfeel 3/5

There were some conflicting sensations here.  However, the mouthfeel is one of the more noticeable attributes of this beer.  Before noting any flavors whatsoever, I noted at least two different mouthfeel sensations.  The first was that this beer is smooth.  I almost confused it for a creaminess, but the body was not heavy enough for that.  This is a light bodied beer (again, not true to style) but tries to cover that up with a technique that could come in handy with some other styles of beer.  That technique was the carbonation.  The carbonation in this beer was almost that of nitrogen and not carbonation at all.  It was a very light, thin carbonation that made this beer feel "creamier" than its body actually was.  A neat trick and I would not mind seeing it again.

Overall Impression 5/10

This is not a bad beer.  It is simply not to style.  This is a porter masquerading in a black ale's bottle.  It is dominated by sweetness with very little in the way of bitter.  The appearance was fantastic!  I have had imperials that were not this black.  Overall, I'd say this beer takes some of the finer points of a stout (thin carbonation, color) and a porter (sweetness, lighter body) and mashes them together quite pleasantly.

Total 29/50
This ranking puts this beer in the very top of the "Good" category as that it "misses the mark on style and/or has minor flaws."  There were no flaws I could detect.  All I can say is that this beer was sweet and that is not what one expects from a black ale.  It was a dark sweet from the get-go in both aroma and flavor and while it would be pretty darn good as a robust porter, it is not a black ale.  In fact, as a porter or brown ale, this beer would rank significantly higher.  If someone was looking to get into the "super dark" beers, I would recommend this as an introduction to the style or a transition beer from something lighter.  After all, there are few things as nice as introducing friends to new beer experiences - or exbeeriences.  Oo!  Consider that trademarked.